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Cars.com Inc. (CARS) stock

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NYSE: CARS NYSE Interactive Media & Services Next results ~November 5, 2026

C+ Fundamentals grade

Cars.com Inc. is a US-listed company in the interactive media & services industry. Its financial year ends in December.

Stock price today

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Third-party market data · may be delayed

Fair value per share

~$27

Cash-flow model

Base case. Range ~$19–$39 across our lower- and higher-growth cases (-3%–7% a year).

Price vs value

Undervalued

The price is below our entire value range; our base value is 136% above it.

Price used: $11.63, November 3, 2026

Cars.com Inc. valuation: adjust assumptions and compare models →

Who’s trading

What company insiders, investment funds and members of Congress have been doing with the stock, from their own filings.

  • Insiders1 buying, 4 selling1 purchase and 6 sales by directors and officers, last 12 monthsInsider trades
  • Funds88 adding, 99 cuttingOf 40 active managers that changed their stake, 17 added; quarter to June 30, 2026Fund buyers and sellers

Value diary

Our note on each quarter Cars.com files

Where Cars.com stands after its latest 10-Q

Revenue for the twelve months to June 2026 was $726m, up 1.1% on a year earlier, about the same pace as a quarter earlier. Free-cash-flow margin rose to 20.6% from 18.7% a year earlier. Operating margin widened to 11.4% from 7.4%. The diluted share count is down 8.3% on a year earlier, which lifts each remaining share. Against its peers on growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet, it grades C+. It passes 3 of our 6 financial-health checks.

Source: 10-Q filed August 6, 2026 on SEC EDGAR · Financials · Valuation

Written from the company's filings and our models when each quarter's report arrives. Figures in older notes are as published at the time. Not investment advice.

The Fundamentalytics view

Next results ~November 5, 2026 (estimated)

Cars.com Inc.'s trailing-twelve-month revenue grew 1.1% year on year, with a free-cash-flow margin of 20.6%. Where it stands out: change in share count of -8.3% ranks 10 of 55 interactive media & services companies we cover. Where it lags: long-term debt as % of assets of 44.2% ranks 26 of 32 interactive media & services companies we cover.

Our discounted-cash-flow model values the business at ~$27 per share in the base case (~$19–$39 across growth scenarios) — model values under stated assumptions, not a price target.

Current signal Free cash flow diverging from earnings: TTM free cash flow grew 11.6% while net income fell 16.4%: a 28pp divergence.

Assembled from SEC-filed figures — the full workings are on this page and in our methodology. Observations, not recommendations.

Highlights

How we pick these

Strengths

  • Priced below our value. The share price of $11.68 is 135% below our value per share of $27.
  • Margins widening. Operating margin is up 4.1 points on a year ago.
  • Strong cash generation. 20.6% of revenue turned into free cash flow, against a median of 8.9% for interactive media & services companies we cover.
  • Shrinking share count. Diluted shares fell 8.3% in a year, so each share owns more of the business.

Things to watch

  • Results due soon. Results are expected around 5 November; the share price can move sharply on the day.
  • Volatile shares. Over the past year the shares showed annualised volatility of 46% and a beta of 0.6 against the S&P 500.
  • Gross margin slipping. Gross margin is down 4.2 points on a year ago.
  • Below peers: long-term debt as % of assets. Long-term debt as % of assets of 44.2% ranks 26 of 32 interactive media & services companies we cover (median 16.9%).
  • Below peers: days sales outstanding. Days sales outstanding of 72 days ranks 42 of 54 interactive media & services companies we cover (median 49 days).
  • Heavily shorted. 19.5% of the shares available to trade are sold short (10.5 days of average volume to cover).

Latest results: FY2026 Q2

Filed August 6, 2026
Earnings per share
$0.51 against an average estimate of $0.51: missed by 0.6%
Revenue
$180m, up 0.7% on a year earlier
Share reaction
+4.1% in the first session after the results on August 6, 2026, against +0.5% for the S&P 500
Guidance given
adjusted EBITDA margin 28.5% to 29.5% (Third Quarter 2026); adjusted EBITDA margin 29% to 30% (Full Year 2026)
Next report
November 5, 2026; average EPS estimate $0.54

Cars.com's figures from its SEC filings and results release; estimates are the analysts' average. Not a recommendation.

Price chart

  • 1 day-0.4%
  • 1 week+7.7%
  • 1 month+16.0%
  • This year-4.3%
  • 1 year+7.3%
  • 5 years-14.9%
  • S&P 500 this year+11.2%

Closing prices to 2026-11-02. Price change only, dividends excluded.

Loading chart…

Third-party market data · may be delayed

At a glance

Trailing twelve months, from SEC filings

Profitability

Revenue (TTM)
$726M
Operating margin
11.4%
Net margin
4.7%
EPS (TTM, diluted)
$0.57

Growth

Revenue growth
+1.1%
Change in growth rate
+0.2 pts
Share count change
−8.3%

Cash

Free cash flow (TTM)
$150M
FCF margin
20.6%
Stock pay % of revenue
4.2%

Earnings

Last results
August 6, 2026
Next results (est.)
November 5, 2026

News & updates

Updated October 31, 2026

Company announcements, filed results and changes that matter to shareholders.

  1. Leadership
  2. Leadership
  3. Results
  4. Guidance

Refreshed hourly when new source data is available. Summaries are checked against company releases and SEC filings. Company announcement headlines are labelled when a checked summary is unavailable.

Valuation

Cars.com Inc. valuation models and calculator

What the price is pricing in

The share price implies cash flow shrinking about 8.3% a year for five years.That is slower than the 3.1% a year revenue growth Cars.com has delivered.

  • Priced in-8.3%
  • Last 12 months1.1%
  • 3 years a year2.8%
  • 5 years a year3.1%

Our cash-flow model with every input fixed except growth over the next five years, solved for the growth at which the model value equals the share price ($11.62, Nov 3, 2026). Cash-flow growth then fades to 2.5% a year; discount rate 8.5%. Delivered figures are revenue growth from SEC filings. This is a model exercise, not investment advice or a forecast of the share price. All companies

Fundamentalytics rating

model v1.6 · 2026-11-03
Buy12-month view
12-month price target
~$27
Price used
$11.62close November 3, 2026
Implied change
▲ +136%
Uncertainty
Medium

How we got here: a discounted-cash-flow model of Cars.com Inc.'s free cash flow after stock-based pay with after-tax interest added back ($114M, FY2026 Q2 TTM), growing 1.7% and 2% in the next two years (forecasts, guidance and its record), then back to 2% by year five, and fading to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5%. Lower and higher growth cases span ~$19–~$39 ; that spread sets a 25% margin before we rate Buy or Sell.

Produced by Fundamentalytics' automated valuation model on November 3, 2026, using delayed market prices. Rating meanings, methodology and conflicts: recommendations disclosure and research disclaimer. General research, not personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances. Prices can fall as well as rise.

Our value per share comes from a discounted-cash-flow model of Cars.com Inc.'s free cash flow after stock-based pay ( $114M, FY2026 Q2 TTM, with after-tax interest added back): growth for five years as below (the first two years from forecasts, guidance and the company's record), fading to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5%, then cash added and debt and other claims subtracted. These are model values under stated assumptions, not price targets or recommendations.

Valuation models

We value Cars.com Inc. as an operating company, with every model that fits that kind of business. Cost of equity 9.8%: the 10-year Treasury yield (4.9%) plus a beta of 1.08 times a 4.5% equity risk premium.

Value per share by model
Model Value per share In the combined value?
Cash-flow model (DCF) Free cash flow to the firm (after stock pay, with after-tax interest added back), grown then faded to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5% as the firm rate, less debt and other claims. ~$27 ~$19–$39 Primary model, counts double
Forward price-to-earnings vs peers Next year's consensus earnings per share times peers' typical (harmonic-mean) forward price-to-earnings. Uses analysts' consensus estimates (third-party data), not our forecasts. ~$24 ~$19–$40 Included
Residual income Book value plus the present value of returns above the cost of equity, fading over ten years. ~$8.3 ~$5.6–$13 Included
Justified price-to-book Book value times (return on equity - growth) / (cost of equity - growth): steady-state returns. ~$8.3 ~$7.3–$9.8 Included
Combined value Weighted average of the models that apply: the primary model (cash-flow model (dcf)) counts double. Models more than 5x or less than 0.2x the share price, or more than 3x away from the other models' median, are left out. ~$19 ~$8.3–$27 4 models

Different models fail in different ways, so where several apply we average them rather than trust one. Peer-based models compare Cars.com Inc. with Interactive Media & Services in our coverage, using third-party market data. Model values are estimates under stated assumptions, updated as new filings arrive; not price targets or investment advice. How each model works.

What moves the value

  • Revenue growth 5 points lower ▼ −30%
  • Revenue growth 5 points higher ▲ +40%
  • Free-cash-flow margin 1 point lower ▼ −6%
  • Last year's free-cash-flow margin change, if it persists ▲ +13%
  • Discount rate 1 point higher ▼ −17%
Value per share under different assumptions
Discount rate ↓ / growth → −5% growth0% growth5% growth10% growth15% growth20% growth
7% $23$34$48$68$92$125
8.5% $16$24$34$48$66$88
10% $11$18$26$36$50$67

Valuation multiples over time Market data may be delayed

At fiscal year end 201720182019202020212022202320242025Now
Share price$28.84$21.50$12.22$11.30$16.09$13.77$18.97$17.33$12.20$11.68
Market value$2.1bn$1.5bn$819m$760m$1.1bn$959m$1.3bn$1.2bn$772m$704m
+ Net debt (− = net cash)$563m$671m$635m$530m$438m$450m$451m$409m$399m$414m
Enterprise value$2.6bn$2.2bn$1.5bn$1.3bn$1.6bn$1.4bn$1.7bn$1.6bn$1.2bn$1.1bn
Multiples
Price / sales 3.3x2.3x1.3x1.4x1.8x1.5x1.9x1.6x1.1x1.0x
Price / earnings 9.2x39.1x——106.4x55.7x10.9x24.2x38.5x20.5x
Price / free cash flow 13.5x10.2x10.2x6.2x8.4x7.6x9.6x7.8x5.2x4.7x
EV / EBITDA 11.8x11.7x——10.6x8.8x11.3x9.8x7.7x7.1x

Market value uses the period's diluted share count; figures for each fiscal year use that year's results and the price at year end. "Now" uses today's price and the last twelve months.

Moat

46 /100

Moderate moat

How hard Cars.com's competitive advantage looks for rivals to wear away, judged from 10 years of its own filings: returns on capital, pricing power, profit durability, cash conversion and discipline.

  • Returns on capital 2 / 20

    Net income has been a median 2.8% of total assets over 10 years.

  • Durability 2 / 20

    Operating margin has been a median 8.7%; its worst year was -246.3%.

  • Cash conversion 20 / 20

    Free cash flow was positive in 10 of 10 years, at a median 20.7% of revenue.

  • Discipline 18 / 20

    The diluted share count fell 12.6% over five years; stock-based pay has been a median 3.5% of revenue.

AI disruption exposure: Medium. In this industry, AI could change how the product is made or sold, without replacing the core asset. The score above includes a 5-point deduction for that exposure (52 before it).

A rules-based reading of reported figures, not a forecast and not investment advice. How the score is built: methodology.

Forecasts and guidance

Next results: November 5, 2026, before the open. Analysts expect revenue of $183m and EPS of $0.54 (range $0.50 to $0.59) for the quarter.

Analysts' consensus

Fiscal yearEPSGrowthRevenueGrowth
Current $2.00 +17% $729m +1%
Next $2.34 +17% $745m +2%

Next year's EPS estimate has moved −7.2% in 90 days, across 4 analysts.

How the EPS forecast has moved

The consensus EPS forecast for the current fiscal year is −5.7% on 90 days ago. In the last 30 days, 1 analyst raised Cars.com Inc.'s forecast and 0 cut it.

Consensus EPS forecast Cars.com Inc., last 90 days
$2.00 $2.20 $2.40 $2.60 90 days ago 60 days ago 30 days ago 7 days ago Now Current fiscal year, 90 days ago: $2.12 Current fiscal year, 60 days ago: $2.10 Current fiscal year, 30 days ago: $2.10 Current fiscal year, 7 days ago: $2.00 Current fiscal year, Now: $2.00 $2.00 Next fiscal year, 90 days ago: $2.52 Next fiscal year, 60 days ago: $2.59 Next fiscal year, 30 days ago: $2.59 Next fiscal year, 7 days ago: $2.34 Next fiscal year, Now: $2.34 $2.34

Average of analysts' published estimates (third-party data).

View chart data
Period Current fiscal yearNext fiscal year
90 days ago $2.12$2.52
60 days ago $2.10$2.59
30 days ago $2.10$2.59
7 days ago $2.00$2.34
Now $2.00$2.34

Earnings against estimates

Quarter toEstimateActualSurprise
Jun 2026 $0.51 $0.51 −0.6%
Mar 2026 $0.46 $0.45 −2.2%
Dec 2025 $0.55 $0.44 −19.7%
Sept 2025 $0.49 $0.48 −1.5%

Adjusted EPS as companies report it, against the average analyst estimate.

Management guidance

Earnings release, August 6, 2026
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin Full Year 2026 29% to 30% Non-GAAP Maintained
    “Adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to be between 29.0% to 30.0%” source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin Third Quarter 2026 28.5% to 29.5% Non-GAAP
    “Adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to be between 28.5% and 29.5%, reflecting continued operating efficiencies and cost savings.” source

Figures and quotations are management's, copied from the company's own press release (SEC 8-K exhibit) and checked word for word against it. Forward-looking statements are the company's expectations, not ours and not advice; guidance can change or be missed.

How our valuation uses these forecasts

Our cash-flow model grows Cars.com Inc.'s revenue by +1.7% next year and +2.0% the year after, then fades back toward its own record by year five. Next year's rate weighs analysts' consensus (+1.6%, weight 62%) and the company's own record (+2.0%, weight 38%) . How the weights are set.

Analyst recommendations

6 analysts, Oct 2026
Buy233%
Hold350%
Sell117%

Monthly trend

  1. Oct 202611316
  2. Sep 202612317
  3. Aug 202612317
  4. Jul 202612317

Counts of recommendations published by analysts covering Cars.com Inc., by month. Source: Aggregated broker recommendations (third-party data). Aggregated counts only: we do not reproduce any firm's recommendation or price target, and these are not Fundamentalytics ratings.

Positioning

Short interest
19.5%
of tradable shares
Days to cover
10.52
at average volume
Short interest, 1 month
+16%
to October 15, 2026
Held by institutions
—
of shares
Held by insiders
13.2%
of shares
Employees
1,700
full time

Consensus figures average analysts' published estimates (third-party data); guidance is the company's own. Neither is our forecast. Short interest is reported twice a month and lags. Market data may be delayed.

This section is general information, not investment advice or a personal recommendation, and it does not take account of your objectives or circumstances. Forecasts and guidance are estimates, not promises: companies miss their own guidance and analysts' figures are often revised. Prices can fall as well as rise, and you can lose money. See our disclaimer.

Share-price performance

Market data may be delayed

What moved the share price

Last 12 months +8.8%

$10.74 on October 31, 2025 to $11.68

ThenNowEffect
Revenue (last 12 months) $718m $726m +1.1%
Net margin 5.7% 4.7% −17.3%
P/E multiple 17.2x 20.5x +19.3%
Share count 66m 60m +9.0%

Biggest factor: net margin.

Last 3 years −35.5%

$18.12 on November 3, 2023 to $11.68

ThenNowEffect
Revenue (last 12 months) $668m $726m +8.6%
Net margin 16.9% 4.7% −72.0%
P/E multiple 11.0x 20.5x +86.9%
Share count 68m 60m +13.6%

Biggest factor: net margin.

The effects multiply back to the price change exactly. Results are the last 12 months as known on each date (filings assumed public 45 days after quarter end).

Return and risk by year

Calendar year 202120222023202420252026 to date
Return
CARS+42%−14%+38%−9%−30%−4%
Industry peers (median)−26%−54%−6%−21%−7%−27%
S&P 500+29%−18%+26%+25%+18%+11%
Months that ended higher
CARS67%42%67%33%58%46%
S&P 50075%42%67%75%75%46%
Largest fall from a high during the year
CARS−23%−48%−34%−27%−47%−40%
S&P 500−5%−25%−10%−8%−19%−9%

Worst fall since June 1, 2017: 89% from July 12, 2018 to April 2, 2020. Getting back needed a 799% gain, and the shares have not yet recovered.

Price behaviour

52-week range
$7.58 – $13.50
From 52-week high
−13.5%
vs 50-day average
+7.2%
vs 200-day average
+10.5%
Volatility (1 year)
46%
Beta vs S&P 500
0.63

Volatility is the annualised standard deviation of daily returns. Beta 1.5 means the shares typically moved 1.5% for each 1% move in the S&P 500 over the past year. Prices to November 2, 2026.

Share price after results

Next day
6 up, 6 down
typical move ±7.6%
After a week
6 up, 6 down
typical move ±9.4%
After a month
5 up, 7 down
typical move ±13.3%
Results releasedNext dayS&P 500 next day5 days21 days
August 6, 2026 +4.1% +0.5% +6.0% −0.9%
May 7, 2026 +4.4% +0.5% −7.7% −16.9%
April 9, 2026 +6.0% +0.5% +11.3% +27.0%
February 26, 2026 −20.5% −1.0% −21.8% −25.9%
November 6, 2025 +7.0% −1.0% +11.1% +14.5%
August 7, 2025 −5.3% +0.7% −5.2% +2.9%
May 8, 2025 −7.9% +0.6% −4.1% −6.7%
February 27, 2025 −13.7% −0.1% −23.9% −26.1%
November 7, 2024 +10.1% +1.2% +11.2% +13.9%
August 8, 2024 −5.8% +2.8% −1.1% −3.0%
May 9, 2024 +3.1% +0.7% +8.2% +16.2%
February 22, 2024 −2.9% +2.1% +1.6% −6.1%

From the close before the release date to the close 1, 5 and 21 trading days after it, so releases before the open and after the close are both captured. Past moves don't predict future ones.

Options strategies

All options ideas

How Cars.com Inc.’s listed options are priced, and three ways to use them that follow from our valuation. Quotes are delayed, read November 3, 2026. Check the live chain at your broker before trading.

Cash-secured put

Not offered: fundamentals grade C+ (needs B+ or better).

We suggest selling a put only on well-rated companies, at a strike where the price you would pay if assigned (strike less premium) is at or below our fair value.

Covered call

Not offered: no liquid call at or above our price target — the model says the upside is worth more than any listed strike.

For holders: sell a call at a strike at or above our fair value, so the shares are only sold at a price the model calls full value.

Collar

Not offered: the shares trade below our fair value: a collar caps upside the model expects.

For holders of a stock trading at or above our fair value: buy a put for a floor and sell a call to pay for it.

General research, not personal advice. Options can lose you more than you expect and are not suitable for everyone: put sellers can be made to buy shares that keep falling, call sellers give up gains above the strike, and results or news can move prices sharply. Chances shown are approximations from each option’s delta. Spreads, fees and early assignment are not modelled.

Cars.com Inc. in five measures

Fundamentals grade C+
Growth Profitability Cash Balance sheet Value

Growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet are percentiles against the companies we cover in the same industry, from SEC filings (100 = best). Value compares the share price with our modelled value range (50 = at our base value; higher = cheaper). A description of reported data and our model — not a quality score or advice.

Fundamentals

Revenue (TTM) Cars.com Inc.
$660M $680M $700M $720M $740M FY23 Q3 FY24 Q2 FY25 Q1 FY26 Q2 Revenue (TTM), FY23 Q3: $677.8M Revenue (TTM), FY23 Q4: $689.2M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q1: $702.3M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q2: $713M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q3: $718.3M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q4: $719.2M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q1: $718M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q2: $717.8M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q3: $719.8M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q4: $723.2M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q1: $724.4M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q2: $725.6M $725.6M

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue (TTM)
FY23 Q3 $677.8M
FY23 Q4 $689.2M
FY24 Q1 $702.3M
FY24 Q2 $713M
FY24 Q3 $718.3M
FY24 Q4 $719.2M
FY25 Q1 $718M
FY25 Q2 $717.8M
FY25 Q3 $719.8M
FY25 Q4 $723.2M
FY26 Q1 $724.4M
FY26 Q2 $725.6M
Revenue growth, TTM YoY Cars.com Inc.
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% FY23 Q3 FY24 Q2 FY25 Q1 FY26 Q2 Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY23 Q3: 5.2% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY23 Q4: 5.4% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q1: 6.0% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q2: 6.7% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q3: 6.0% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q4: 4.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q1: 2.2% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q2: 0.7% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q3: 0.2% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q4: 0.6% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q1: 0.9% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q2: 1.1% 1.1%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue growth, TTM YoY
FY23 Q3 5.2%
FY23 Q4 5.4%
FY24 Q1 6.0%
FY24 Q2 6.7%
FY24 Q3 6.0%
FY24 Q4 4.3%
FY25 Q1 2.2%
FY25 Q2 0.7%
FY25 Q3 0.2%
FY25 Q4 0.6%
FY26 Q1 0.9%
FY26 Q2 1.1%
Operating margin (TTM) Cars.com Inc.
6% 8% 10% 12% FY23 Q3 FY24 Q2 FY25 Q1 FY26 Q2 Operating margin (TTM), FY23 Q3: 8.7% Operating margin (TTM), FY23 Q4: 7.9% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q1: 7.7% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q2: 7.2% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: 6.8% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: 7.4% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: 6.6% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: 7.4% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: 8.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: 8.3% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: 9.7% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: 11.4% 11.4%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Operating margin (TTM)
FY23 Q3 8.7%
FY23 Q4 7.9%
FY24 Q1 7.7%
FY24 Q2 7.2%
FY24 Q3 6.8%
FY24 Q4 7.4%
FY25 Q1 6.6%
FY25 Q2 7.4%
FY25 Q3 8.1%
FY25 Q4 8.3%
FY26 Q1 9.7%
FY26 Q2 11.4%
FCF margin (TTM) Cars.com Inc.
18% 20% 22% 24% FY23 Q3 FY24 Q2 FY25 Q1 FY26 Q2 FCF margin (TTM), FY23 Q3: 18.8% FCF margin (TTM), FY23 Q4: 19.7% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q1: 20.0% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q2: 20.7% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: 23.0% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: 20.8% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: 20.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: 18.7% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: 19.4% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: 20.4% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: 21.8% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: 20.6% 20.6%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period FCF margin (TTM)
FY23 Q3 18.8%
FY23 Q4 19.7%
FY24 Q1 20.0%
FY24 Q2 20.7%
FY24 Q3 23.0%
FY24 Q4 20.8%
FY25 Q1 20.3%
FY25 Q2 18.7%
FY25 Q3 19.4%
FY25 Q4 20.4%
FY26 Q1 21.8%
FY26 Q2 20.6%

Data: SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (as filed in 10-K/10-Q); forms 10-K, 10-Q. Generated November 3, 2026. Definitions in our methodology.

Where the money goes

FY2025, from the 10-K

Each dollar Cars.com took in during FY2025, followed through to profit: what it cost to make, what went on running the business, and what was left after tax.

  1. Revenue $723M
  2. Selling, general and admin $330M · 45.7%
  3. Other operating costs $333M · 46.0%
  4. Operating income $60.3M · 8.3%
  5. Income tax $14.3M · 2.0%
  6. Interest and other $25.9M · 3.6%
  7. Net income $20.1M · 2.8%

Shares of revenue. Source: Cars.com's 10-K for FY2025, as filed with the SEC. "Other" lines are what the reported lines leave unexplained.

Financial statements

US$ millions unless shown otherwise. Fiscal years, plus the last twelve months (LTM) when newer.

Fiscal year 2015 Dec 2015 2016 Dec 2016 2017 Dec 2017 2018 Dec 2018 2019 Dec 2019 2020 Dec 2020 2021 Dec 2021 2022 Dec 2022 2023 Dec 2023 2024 Dec 2024 2025 Dec 2025 LTM Jun 2026
Income
Revenue 597 633 626 662 607 548 624 654 689 719 723 726
Gross profit 550 576 561 572 — — — — — — — —
EBITDA 239 260 223 188 −329 −774 150 160 155 161 152 157
Operating income 158 177 134 84 −446 −887 48 66 54 53 60 83
Net income 158 176 224 39 −445 −789 11 17 118 48 20 34
Diluted EPS $2.20 $2.46 $3.13 $0.55 −$6.65 −$11.74 $0.15 $0.25 $1.74 $0.72 $0.32 $0.57
Growth (year on year)
Revenue — +6.1% −1.1% +5.7% −8.4% −9.8% +13.9% +4.8% +5.4% +4.3% +0.6% +1.1%
EBITDA — +8.9% −14.2% −15.8% −275.3% — — +6.8% −3.3% +3.6% −5.3% −0.0%
Operating income — +12.0% −24.0% −37.5% −631.5% — — +36.6% −18.1% −1.1% +12.6% +56.9%
Net income — +11.7% +27.3% −82.7% <−999% — — — +588.4% −59.3% −58.4% −16.4%
Diluted EPS — +11.8% +27.2% −82.4% <−999% — — — +596.0% −58.6% −55.6% −8.8%
Margins
Gross margin 92.2% 91.0% 89.5% 86.3% — — — — — — — —
EBITDA margin 40.0% 41.0% 35.6% 28.4% −54.3% −141.4% 24.1% 24.5% 22.5% 22.3% 21.0% 21.6%
Operating margin 26.4% 27.9% 21.4% 12.7% −73.5% −162.1% 7.8% 10.1% 7.9% 7.4% 8.3% 11.4%
Net margin 26.5% 27.9% 35.8% 5.9% −73.4% −144.1% 1.7% 2.6% 17.2% 6.7% 2.8% 4.7%
Free-cash-flow margin 30.3% 29.9% 24.5% 22.6% 13.2% 22.3% 21.9% 19.4% 19.7% 20.8% 20.4% 20.6%
Cash flow
Cash from operations 190 199 186 164 101 139 138 129 137 153 152 152
Capital spending 9 10 33 14 21 17 1 2 1 3 4 2
Free cash flow 181 189 153 149 80 122 137 127 135 150 147 150
Stock-based pay — — 3 9 8 15 21 22 28 31 31 31
Free cash flow after stock pay — — 151 140 73 107 115 104 107 119 116 119
Balance sheet
Cash 0 9 21 25 14 68 39 32 39 51 56 33
Total debt 0 0 584 696 648 598 478 481 490 460 455 447
Net debt (negative = net cash) −0 −9 563 671 635 530 438 450 451 409 399 414
Diluted shares 72m 72m 72m 71m 67m 67m 71m 70m 68m 67m 63m 60m
Returned to shareholders
Buybacks — — 0 97 40 0 0 49 31 49 87 100
Total returned — — 0 97 40 0 0 49 31 49 87 100

Source: SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (US and foreign periodic filings); column headings link to the filing. EBITDA is operating income plus depreciation and amortisation. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Growth is left blank when last year's figure was a loss or under 2% of revenue. Share counts and EPS are restated for stock splits. A dash means the company didn't report the figure.

Financial health

3 of 6 checks passed · June 30, 2026
What it owns · $1.0bn
Short-term assets $195mLonger-term assets $817m
What it owes, and who funded it · $1.0bn
Short-term liabilities $98mLonger-term liabilities $471mShareholders' equity $444m
  • Short-term assets cover short-term liabilities $195m of assets due within a year against $98m of liabilities due within a year.
  • Short-term assets cover long-term liabilities $195m short-term assets against $471m of longer-dated liabilities.
  • More cash than debt $33m of cash against $447m of debt.
  • Debt below 40% of shareholders' equity Debt is 101% of equity.
  • Debt burden no higher than five years ago Debt to equity moved from 115% to 101% over five years.
  • A year's operating cash flow covers at least 20% of debt $152m of operating cash flow against $447m of debt.
  • Operating profit covers interest at least five times over Interest not separately reported. Not assessable.

From Cars.com Inc.'s latest balance sheet as filed. Checks are fixed, documented rules (methodology), counted only where the company reports the figures — a dot means the filing doesn't break the item out. Descriptions of reported data, not advice.

Dividends, buybacks and capital spending

FY2026 Q2 TTM
Buybacks (TTM)
$99.7M
Returned to shareholders
67%
of free cash flow
Buybacks, last 3 fiscal years
$167M
Diluted share count
−8.3%
year over year
Total shareholder yield
15.8%
dividends 0.0% + buybacks 15.8% of market value
Days sales outstanding
72 days
receivables vs revenue

Competitors: side by side with peers

Closest by revenue in interactive media & services
Last 12 months unless stated CARS EVER UPWK GENI OPRA NRDS Median
Revenue, last 12 months $726m $755m $771m $669m $615m $860m $615m
Revenue growth, last 12 months 1.1% 22.7% −1.2% 31.0% 27.9% 11.5% 2.4%
Revenue growth, 3-year average 2.8% 27.0% 5.0% — — 12.9% 5.0%
Revenue growth, latest quarter 0.7% 24.6% −8.0% — — 5.6% 2.4%
Gross margin 84.3% 97.6% 76.9% 23.0% 78.4% 93.5% 60.4%
Operating margin 11.4% 11.0% 16.0% −22.6% 14.7% 10.2% 0.3%
Operating margin, 3-year average 8.7% 3.2% 12.9% — 6.7% 4.7% −0.4%
Net margin 4.7% 15.2% 13.5% −16.7% 17.6% 7.6% 3.8%
Cash from operations / revenue 20.9% 13.3% 25.9% 12.9% 19.1% 19.1% 11.4%
Free-cash-flow margin 20.6% 12.6% 24.8% 9.6% 18.2% 19.0% 7.5%
Free-cash-flow margin, 3-year average 20.0% 10.4% 23.3% — 11.6% 15.3% 7.2%
Stock pay / revenue 4.2% 3.1% 7.7% 22.3% 1.8% 3.2% 3.7%
Change in share count −8.3% >999% −7.0% 11.0% 1.4% −7.6% 2.0%

Median of all 63 companies we cover in interactive media & services. Shaded: best of the six on that line (lowest for stock pay and share-count growth). 3-year figures average the last three 12-month periods; 3-year growth is compound annual. Source: SEC filings.

Peer comparison

63 interactive media & services companies
Measure Company Peer median Rank
Revenue growth Growth 1.1% 2.4% 37 of 63
Change in growth rate Growth +0.2pp -0.2pp 29 of 63
Operating margin Profitability 11.4% 0.3% 18 of 63
Net margin Profitability 4.7% 3.8% 29 of 63
Free-cash-flow margin Cash generation 20.6% 8.9% 15 of 59
Stock pay as % of revenue Cash generation 4.2% 3.9% 32 of 61
Long-term debt as % of assets Balance sheet 44.2% 16.9% 26 of 32
Change in share count Balance sheet -8.3% 1.7% 10 of 55
Days sales outstanding Balance sheet 72 days 49 days 42 of 54

Rank 1 = best in the group (for spending, debt and dilution, lower ranks first).

Who owns it

Funds buying and selling
Reported value
$606M
Institutions reporting
197
Shares held vs prior quarter
▼ 3.8%
Positions opened / closed
28 / 36

Top buyers and sellers, Q2 2026: 88 institutions bought and 99 sold ; the biggest buyer was Two Sigma Investments, LP (+1.1M shares) and the biggest seller HRT Financial LP (−654K). See which funds bought and sold →

Largest reported holders, June 30, 2026
Manager Value Shares Share of 13F value Shares QoQ
FMR LLC $91.7M 8.4M 15.1% ▼ 4.7%
Blackrock, Inc. $45.6M 4.2M 7.5% ▼ 3.2%
Pale Fire Capital Se $43.8M 4.0M 7.2% ▲ 1.3%
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP $36.7M 3.4M 6.1% ▼ 1.4%
Hill Path Capital LP $27.1M 2.5M 4.5% 0.0%
Brown Advisory Inc $25.9M 2.4M 4.3% ▼ 1.2%
Vanguard Capital Management LLC $25.6M 2.3M 4.2% ▼ 5.5%
Breach Inlet Capital Management, LLC $24M 2.2M 4.0% ▲ 3.4%
American Century Companies Inc $23.4M 2.1M 3.9% ▲ 18.0%
Jpmorgan Chase & Co $17.6M 1.6M 2.9% ▲ 3.3%
State Street Corp $15.4M 1.4M 2.5% ▼ 4.4%
Geode Capital Management, LLC $13.9M 1.3M 2.3% ▼ 4.1%

From Form 13F filings with the SEC ( quarterly data sets), as reported by each manager for June 30, 2026 and filed up to 45 days later. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M only, so this is not Cars.com Inc.'s complete shareholder register. Values are as reported by the filers .

Insider trading activity

Full insider history and chart
Insider purchases History → $15,082 1 trade by 1 insider, last 12 months Insider sales History → $2.1M 6 trades by 4 insiders · 7% under pre-set plans
Net ▼ $2.1M net selling
Insider Date Trade Shares Price Value
Mcgovern Jr. Donald A. Director August 20, 2026 Sell 8,000 $12.25 $98,000
Marks Angelique Strong Chief Legal Officer August 17, 2026 Sell 57,980 $11.94 $692,281
Jain Sonia Chief Financial Officer June 12, 2026 Sell 34,021 $9.49 $322,859
Jain Sonia Chief Financial Officer June 11, 2026 Sell 52,579 $9.56 $502,655
Ross Jenell Director March 13, 2026 Buy 1,995 $7.56 $15,082
Jain Sonia Chief Financial Officer December 17, 2025 Sell pre-set plan 11,400 $13.45 $153,330
Crawford Matthew B. Chief Product Innovation Off. December 2, 2025 Sell 27,358 $12.03 $329,117

From insiders' Form 4 filings with the SEC. Excludes awards, option exercises and shares withheld for tax. "Pre-set plan" means the filing marks the trade as made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan. See every insider trade since five years ago, on a price chart.

Trades by members of Congress

All 4 trades and filings

No trades in Cars.com Inc. disclosed in the last 12 months; 4 earlier trades on record.

  • Greg Gianforte(MT):Sale (full), $50,001 - $100,000, traded September 10, 2019, filed October 20, 2019
  • Greg Gianforte(MT):Purchase, $100,001 - $250,000, traded January 23, 2019, filed March 6, 2019
  • Greg Gianforte(MT):Sale (full), $50,001 - $100,000, traded December 21, 2018, filed January 23, 2019

Value ranges as filed; reports can arrive up to 45 days after a trade.

Earnings dates and SEC filings

Results announcements

Next expected around November 5, 2026 estimated from the company's past filing pattern, not announced

  • August 6, 2026
  • May 7, 2026
  • April 9, 2026
  • February 26, 2026
  • November 6, 2025
  • August 7, 2025

Recent SEC filings

Data status

When each part of this page on Cars.com Inc. was last updated.

DataLast updatedSource
Share priceExchange closing prices
Financial statementsSEC 10-K and 10-Q filings
News and updatesCompany releases and SEC 8-K filings
Analyst estimatesAggregated analyst estimates
Valuation and scoresOur models, from the filed figures

How we build and check these figures: methodology and data sources.

Cars.com Inc. in brief

What does Cars.com Inc. do?
Cars.com Inc. is a US-listed company in the interactive media & services industry. Its financial year ends in December.
What is Cars.com Inc.'s stock ticker?
Cars.com Inc. trades under the ticker CARS on NYSE. This page brings together its financial statements, valuation models, ownership and recent company updates.
What is Cars.com Inc.'s revenue, and how fast is it growing?
Over its most recent trailing twelve months, Cars.com Inc. reported revenue of $726M, 1.1% higher than a year earlier, according to its SEC filings.
What is Cars.com Inc.'s free cash flow?
Cars.com Inc.'s free-cash-flow margin is 20.6% of revenue over the trailing twelve months, ranking 15 of the 59 interactive media & services companies we cover.
What is Cars.com Inc.'s fair value (intrinsic value) per share?
Our discounted-cash-flow model of Cars.com Inc.'s free cash flow after stock-based pay gives ~$27 per share in the base case, and ~$19–$39 across growth scenarios. These are model values under stated assumptions — not a price target or a recommendation.
Who are Cars.com Inc.'s largest institutional shareholders?
By value reported in 13F filings for June 30, 2026, the largest reported holders are FMR LLC, Blackrock, Inc. and Pale Fire Capital Se. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M, filed up to 45 days after quarter end.
Is Cars.com Inc. buying back stock, and does it pay a dividend?
Cars.com Inc. spent $99.7M on share repurchases over the trailing twelve months, and its diluted share count fell 8.3% over the year.
What is Cars.com Inc.'s market cap?
On November 2, 2026, Cars.com Inc.'s market capitalisation was about $704M, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.5 and net debt of $414M. Market figures come from third-party market data and may be delayed.
How much debt does Cars.com Inc. have?
Cars.com Inc.'s debt-to-equity ratio is 100.8%, from its latest balance sheet (114.9% five years earlier). The financial health section below sets out its other solvency checks.
Who are Cars.com Inc.'s competitors?
In our Interactive Media & Services peer group, the companies closest to Cars.com Inc. are Everquote, Inc., Upwork, Inc, Genius Sports Ltd, Opera Ltd and Nerdwallet, Inc. The side-by-side comparison below sets their revenue, margins and growth against Cars.com Inc.'s.
Are insiders buying or selling Cars.com Inc. stock?
Over the last 12 months, Cars.com Inc.'s directors and officers reported 1 open-market purchases and 6 sales on Form 4. The insider trading page charts every trade.
When is Cars.com Inc.'s next earnings date?
Around November 5, 2026, estimated from the spacing of its past results announcements (8-K filings). That is an estimate, not a confirmed date — Cars.com Inc. announces its own schedule.